The Fall of a Famous General

"The honor of the nobility must not be profaned!" Archduke Louis declared fiercely.

Franz knew the deed was done; to stir up the conflict between the nobility and the capitalists, he had truly cast aside all caution.

After laying the groundwork with a series of maneuvers, he had finally ignited a sense of crisis in this conservative titan, and it was time to retire while the glory was his.

Clearly, Archduke Louis had no intention of letting Franz off the hook, as he asked directly, "Franz, what kind of proposal do you think we should specifically put forward to strike at the bourgeoisie?"

Franz knew he could not hide now, or all his previous efforts would be for nothing.

"Uncle Louis, this is just a rough idea of mine, not a detailed plan, but we could draft a Labor Protection Act. We could focus on wages, working hours, and labor security; we can send people to investigate these areas before making a detailed plan. The most important thing right now is to divert attention and throw out a draft first, so the reformists don't keep their eyes fixed on us, don't you think?"

Archduke Louis felt a surge of joy. Across the entire Austrian Empire, everyone was clamoring for reform, with proposals one more radical than the next; as the leader of the conservatives, he was nearly at his breaking point.

At this moment, throwing out a Labor Protection Act was the perfect way to shift the disaster onto others and drag the bourgeoisie into the mire.

From this moment on, there would be no more conservatives in the Austrian Empire; everyone would be a reformist, with the only difference being the nature of their reforms.

The bourgeoisie could use the emancipation of serfs, constitutionalism, parliament, and universal suffrage to attract supporters, and the nobility could strike them a heavy blow with labor protections, wage standards, and working hours.

The nobility still held the reins of the Austrian government; the slogans of the bourgeoisie were merely slogans, while the counterattack of the nobility could immediately be transformed into law.

The working class could hardly refuse the government's protection of their interests, the reduction of working hours, and the increase in wages, could they?

Once this combination of blows was struck, it was unlikely the capitalists would find it so easy to incite the workers to riot.

Archduke Louis was already considering the aftermath. Without a doubt, once the Labor Protection Act was implemented, the labor costs of the bourgeoisie would increase significantly, and their profits would naturally decline.

The Austrian bourgeoisie of this era had limited strength, and once their profits were squeezed, it would be difficult for them to continue their expansion.

With the strength of the bourgeoisie successfully curbed, domestic tensions would ease because the capitalists' demand for labor would decrease.

As the leader who successfully suppressed the bourgeoisie, he, Archduke Louis, would be a hero among the nobility; perhaps even forcing Metternich to step down and taking the position of Prime Minister himself would not be out of the question.

Franz was unaware of Archduke Louis's delusions of grandeur. As long as someone was charging into the fray, it didn't matter if it was Archduke Louis or Prime Minister Metternich; as long as it wasn't him personally, it was fine.

As the saying goes, cutting off a man's wealth is like killing his parents.

Franz did not believe the capitalists would sit idly by and wait for death; in the face of profit, they were capable of murder. As the primary architect of this plan, he would certainly end up on the capitalists' blacklist.

Thinking of this, Franz decided that once the Labor Protection Act was proposed, he would have to keep a low profile, especially avoiding Archduke Louis; if he were caught in the crossfire, there would be nowhere to cry.

He did not believe that a single Labor Protection Act could truly curb the growth of the bourgeoisie.

For every policy from above, there is a countermeasure from below!

Capitalists were clever people, and given that the workers of this era were relatively easy to hoodwink, it was likely that even with legal protection, it would be difficult to implement.

If nothing else, a capitalist could simply delay wage payments, leaving most workers at a loss; if they wanted to sue, the legal fees alone were more than an ordinary worker could afford.

Of course, it would certainly have an effect in the short term; the nobility would be looking for trouble, and there would be plenty of lawyers willing to take up the cause.

Government departments would also burst with newfound vigor, using this opportunity to demand bribes and kickbacks; if they set their sights on you, not being stripped of a layer of skin would be contrary to the national character of Austria.

Having achieved his two small goals, Franz bid a satisfied farewell to Archduke Louis and returned to Schönbrunn Palace.

The next day, Franz was sipping a cup of tea, holding the latest edition of the Vienna newspaper, and savoring it carefully.

In an era lacking entertainment, Franz had to cultivate the good habit of reading books and newspapers.

"Your Highness, the butler of Archduke Charles just arrived. I heard that Archduke Charles had an accident last night and is failing; he wishes to see you one last time!" the maid Jenny said softly.

Franz's expression changed drastically as he stood up and said, "Prepare the carriage at once! I am going to Archduke Charles's Mansion!"

Only then did it dawn on Franz that in history, Archduke Charles was destined to meet his end this year; counting the time, it was about right.

Birth, old age, sickness, and death—Franz was powerless against these. Archduke Charles was born in 1771 and was now 75 years old.

In an era where the average life expectancy was less than 40, this was already a ripe old age.

If it were possible, Franz truly hoped Archduke Charles could live to be a hundred; with this pillar of stability, his own pressure would be greatly reduced.

Whether it was military reform or the impending civil war, Franz needed this ally to exist and share the burden.

Franz arrived at Archduke Charles's Mansion at top speed. On the way, he had already grasped the situation: last night, Archduke Charles had a drink and then accidentally took a fall.

The result was a spinal fracture. In this era of underdeveloped medicine, there was no way to insert a steel plate for restorative treatment.

The doctors judged that his time was short. As a political figure, he had to leave his final words in his last moments, and Archduke Charles was no exception.

As his most prized protégé (self-proclaimed), Franz naturally had to be present; if he didn't receive a few words personally, Archduke Charles likely wouldn't be able to rest in peace.

By now, many high-ranking military officials had already arrived at the mansion, but Franz had no heart for social niceties and headed straight for the inner chamber.

"Grandpa Charles, Franz is here to see you!" Franz said sorrowfully.

"Hmm, Franz..."

"Remember, a soldier can only shed blood, never tears!"

"Albrecht, hand over my unfinished military reform plans to Franz."

"Remember this, Franz: if you want to make Austria truly powerful, you must complete these reforms!"

Archduke Charles spoke in fits and starts, and Franz could only guess at some of the content, but the gist was for Franz to inherit his cause and carry the military reforms through to the end.

"Rest assured, Grandfather Charles. I, Franz Joseph, swear in the name of God that I will see these military reforms through to the end!"

Upon hearing Franz's promise, he wore a smile of relief and closed his eyes.